The Unspoken Pact
by sinful delight
Summary: I was ten years old the first time I ran away. Wee-chester fic. Sam’s POV


**The Unspoken Pact**

Summary: I was ten years old the first time I ran away. Wee-chester fic. Sam's POV

Rating: T

Disclaimer: Despite my delusions to the contrary I do not… I repeat DO NOT… own the Winchesters. frowns

Author's Note: Just a cute little plot bunny that popped into my head a few weeks ago. I usually tend to lean toward the more humorous aspects of supernatural with the witty banter but here I decided to shake it up a bit and try a little bit of angsty-ness. Let me know what you think! Reviews are always appreciated!

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**-The Unspoken Pact-**

I was ten years old the first time I ran away. My father had just sat me down and told me the truth about our family. You know, monsters, demons… the typical sort of conversation for my family. I had suspected something odd for quite some time but still, hearing it from someone you trusted for all of your life is still quite a shock. Predictably I hadn't reacted too well. I ran out of the house to my father calling after me.

Being ten years old I didn't have a whole lot of options of where I could go. I didn't have any money, I couldn't drive, heck I wasn't even supposed to cross the street without my dad or Dean.

This last rule I ignored. I walked down to the park a few blocks from our house and sat down on a swing, letting all the things my dad had just said sink in. I watched enviously as all the other kids my age ran around innocently. At the other end of the playground a mother caught her daughter as she slid down the slide and I found myself kicking at the dirt in an attempt to not cry.

It wasn't fair.

A short while later, a shadow fell over the swings. I looked up to see my brother staring down at me. He took a seat on the swing next to me, not saying a word, just staring at me, waiting.

"I'm not going home," I spoke finally, letting him know my intentions right off.

"You have to," Dean said. It wasn't a command, more of a statement.

"Why?" I yelled, rounding on my brother, my small frame shaking with a combination of both rage and betrayal. "He lied to me! You both did! How am I supposed to just forgive that and go back?!"

"Because he's our father," Dean replied firmly. "Because I'm your brother…. Because we're family and family's meant to be together."

I bit my lip and crossed my arms defiantly. "Maybe I don't want to be part of this family," I replied bitterly.

A look of surprise and hurt flitted across Dean's face for the briefest moment. An instant later it was gone. "Well tough," Dean shot back. "We're family. You, me, and dad. You're stuck with us kid and you can't do a thing about it."

I turned away from my brother to stare out over the playground, trying desperately to keep back the tears that threatened to spill out.

"Look," Dean said, getting up from his seat and moving to crouch next to me. "I know it sucks but this is our life. Maybe someday it'll change but for now this is all we've got. _We're_ all we've got."

I remained silent, wiping at my eyes furiously in a vain attempt to keep the tears from falling.

"How bout I make you a deal?" Dean asked. "You can leave… start your own life however you want it. But not now… not today."

I turned to look at Dean's face, a glimmer of hope in my eyes "When?"

Dean shrugged. "When you're ready. When dad's ready. Hell, when I'm ready. Just not now. We need each other right now little brother… who the hell would I boss around if you weren't here?"

I chuckled slightly. "Jerk," I muttered.

Dean smirked. "So, do we have a deal?"

I nodded slowly, still sniffling slightly.

"Great! Now let's go home! I'm starving!"

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Eight years later it was déjà vu all over again. My father and I stood yelling at each other, our tempers rising with our voices. It was the same scenario as before. The only change was that now I had a good few inches on my dad in height and could pull off the intimidation thing a hell of a lot better than a ten year old.

Eventually I left, making sure to give the door a hearty slam as I went. My father called after me but I ignored him, picking up the duffle bag that conveniently lay awaiting the next hunt.

Arguments in the Winchester household weren't an uncommon occurrence. My father and I were constantly at odds with each other, ready to snap over the slightest infraction.

Lately, however, things had been relatively quite. Like a calm before a storm. We all knew that it was coming, an inevitable butting of heads. We could go without arguing just as easily as we could go without breathing.

Dean had left the room the moment my dad had entered it, sensing the makings of a fight in the air. He had always made a point of never getting involved in mine and dad's arguments. Always letting us scream and yell at each other till one of us would storm out. It was only then, when the argument had ended, that he would reappear at my side. I wouldn't go so far to say that he consoled me after a fight but he always managed to make me feel better.

During the fights my father and I had when I stormed out, I would always head to the nearest park to cool down and wait for Dean. 'Sentimental Sammy.' Dean would murmur, chuckling at my childish behavior. Still, I kept to our unspoken rendezvous, heading five blocks over the nearest park. I looked a hell of a lot more foolish than I had when I was younger. Never the less I followed tradition, taking my place on the swings… waiting.

The sun was setting and only a handful of kids remained, enjoying the last few minutes they could before heading in. I watched them, envying their innocent youth that I had never had… even at their age. Dean had tried his best to take care of me but even he couldn't hide the fact that our family wasn't exactly the Cleavers.

As the sun sank lower I sighed, checking my watch again. The street lights began to turn and slowly the park started emptying till I was the only one remaining.

Dean never came.

Part of me knew he wouldn't. I hadn't doubted that my brother would one day keep his word, I just had always thought of that day as someplace in the far off future. Suddenly though, someday was here.

Even after I knew Dean wouldn't be coming after me I waited in the park. Part of me willing him to show and the other part hoping to hell he wouldn't. I needed to leave, almost as much as I needed to see my big brother walking down the path.

After a while, however, I could avoid it no more. For the first time I would have to make this decision all on my own. I had two options here; I could turn around and head home and forget the whole college thing or… I could leave. I knew that if I went home that college would no longer be an option just as sure as I was that if I went to college nothing would ever be the same again at home.

I'm not going to lie and say it was a tough decision. Truth is I had made up my mind years before. Yes, I would miss my brother and even my hard headed father. But I knew I had to leave. Knowing that Dean knew it too and was willing to let me go only helped to propel me forward.

I rose from the swings and began making my way to the outskirts of town. As I passed the 'Now Leaving' sign I heard a car rumbling up behind me. I turned, almost expecting the see my brother behind the wheel of the Impala. It was an old man however in a beat up Buick Enclave.

As he drove closer I stuck out my thumb, causing him to slow to a stop. He rolled down to window, evaluating me to see if I looked trustworthy enough to pick up.

"Where ya headed?" he asked finally, nodding for me to get in.

I nodded my thanks as I climbed into the passenger seat next to him.

"California," I answered, smiling slighting.

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End file.
